i accidentally mixed up no boil lasagna noodles together with the boil kind. should I bake it right away or wait, b/c some noodles are really mushy?
This is for Christmas dinner. I usually bake it on Christmas, but will that make the problem worse? If I bake it today, do I do it full or part of the way? And what is the best way to reheat it if I baked it today? Thank you!
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What you need to think out is whether the recipe was designed for traditional boil-and-drain or non-traditional mix-and-bake-all-at-once.
If it was a traditional recipe, there will be less liquid overall and you will need to increase it somewhat in order to make the noodles cook thoroughly.
If it was a throw it all together and bake recipe, you may need to cook it a bit longer than specified in order to have the greater amount of liquid absorbed and merged with other ingredients to make a nice gooey cheesy casserole.
Either way, I'd bake it now (without topping, if you have that choice) to about 3/4 the time and refrigerate for the interval until needed.
This way, whatever recipe you are using, you won't have to spend time watching and calibrating it on Christmas Day (a watched casserole never boils?). Also, the time in the refrigerator (max 48 hours) between 1st cooking and final cooking/serving will help the flavors come together and the liquids absorb.
On the day, bring it to room temperature (or at least have it out of fridge for an hour), add whatever topping you planned...breadcrumbs, more grated cheese etc, and bake it the last 1/4 time. Check for taste, texture and doneness. Bake more as needed.
If you're worried about mushy noodles, use less liquid to start, check during baking and add more as needed (either in the first baking or the second).
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Do you have anything in the house or easily accessible before the shops close to replace the lasagna?